Lady Gaga concert gets a mixed review

Last night, my web colleague Mark Bieganski and I had the privilege of checking out one of music's hottest acts as Lady Gaga performed at the House of Blues. It would be an understatement to say we had differing views on how the show went.

Loved it

BY MARK BIEGANSKI

The last time the newest mistress of pop music performed in Chicago,
she was almost arrested for prancing around town in hot pants.

But during Tuesday night's sold-out double performance at the House
of Blues, Lady Gaga had no qualms about going sans pants -- a signature
staple that's followed her from the interview circuit to the dance
stage.

Gaga kicked off her 11-song set with "Paparazzi" -- the third single from her debut album "The Fame."

While some may say she is nothing more than a regurgitated mix
of pop queens Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani who came before her,
Gaga showed she's more than a dancing lyric box. She's someone who can
sing and put on a choreographed show but doesn't become overwhelmed by
doing both.

If you've been to one pop music concert in the Britney Spears
genre, you've been to them all: over-sized arenas, theatrics to
distract from the fact the singer usually isn't singing and an artist's
usually non-compelling relationship with its audience.

But that's not how it was for Gaga's concert.

Fans -- including myself -- knew what they were signing up for
before Gaga's show: an hour-plus dance party to the tune of some of her
chart-topping singles, including "Just Dance" and "Poker Face."

"My name is Lady Gaga and I've got no money because I've spent
it all on my show," she said. "But tonight, Windy City, I feel
beautiful and dirty rich."

But the sex-charged lyrics and rhythm that attracted many to
her breakout hits carry through the rest of her songs and show that her
album is actually pretty good.

Although Gaga is relatively new to the overcrowded pop music
scene, she skillfully commanded her performance (literally at times
with a lighted scepter) during her debut concert tour and early on
showed there's a new diva on the scene to be reckoned with.

Surrounded by a trio of male dancers, her mysterious
personality was reflected through a wardrobe use of scantily-clad
leotards and outfits that made you think they were straight out of the
'80s children's cartoon "The Jetsons."

Sporting a dress made of plastic bubbles, Gaga surprised the
audience halfway through the show with an acoustic and showtunes-esque
rendition of her hit "Poker Face" on a piano designed to look like her
dress. At times, Gaga even used her foot to play the piano.

By mixing it up, one thing Gaga did prove is that her music
and performance aren't always just a shuffle of pop-centric tunes that
sometimes blend together in theme and sound. She can actually sing --
and isn't shy to show it.

Hated it

BY KYLE KOSTER

I'll never forget the first time I heard Lady Gaga's music. I was
waiting for a girl to get ready and the song "Poker Face" came across
her stereo. The lyrics were laughable.

For heaven's sake, they talk about her "bluffin' with her muffin."

In short, she's kind of laughable.

On the other hand, it goes against everything in my nature to
sit here and rail against an unbelievably gorgeous pop star performing
her radio-friendly anthems to a packed house on an otherwise boring
Tuesday night.

But, as wrong as it feels, I have to do it.

Lady Gaga, the wig-wearing, dance-inducing sex symbol
responsible for such drunken anthems as "Just Dance" and "Poker Face,"
shimmied her svelte little body into the House of Blues Tuesday to
prance, dance and sing in front of a full house. And, despite the
neon-electric sex dripping from her every move, the pop star exhibited
the lack of depth needed to make her a transcendent star.

In the first headlining tour of her young career, Gaga
exhibited a lack of direction that could be expected from a
jaw-dropping diva who has suddenly been asked to interject depth into
an overwhelmingly superficial act.

The First Lady of mindless pop shook her perfectly formed
backside as she sang forgettable Christina Aguilera-inspired songs to a
riled up crowd before busting out her radio mega hits Tuesday night.
And as everyone in attendance began to shake their inhibitions to the
infectious "Just Dance," I couldn't help but notice that the pants-free
babe was just that -- a pants-free babe.

Britney Spears and Christiana Aguilera have already conquered
the too-sexy-for-school angle, but Lady Gaga is still tackling it.

Admittedly, the sold-out crowd seemed to enjoy the
histrionics, but if you stripped down the already stripped-down Gaga's
sexy show, would you find any true talent?

This is the question that plagued me as the 23-year-old
gyrated her perfect body on stage. I wanted to like it. I wanted to get
lost in her hips and uncovered thighs. But the superficiality of the
entire experience hung over each hip swivel and booty-shake.

For one moment, we'll place artistic integrity aside. There is
no doubt the overflow crowd at the intimate House of Blues enjoyed
every dip and arched back, but these sexy moves only take an artist so
far. For the meat-and-potatoes crowd, there was little sustenance in
Lady Gaga's show.

Perhaps it's too much to ask of a woman who proudly hides her
hand behind a stoic poker face, but it sure would have been nice to
have some artistic ingenuity behind the sexy moves. For those looking
to get lost in mindless lyrics and kinetic sex, the pop star delivered.

For those looking for anything more, she left them to play a losing hand.

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8 Comments

I like lady gagas voice. Shes no Christina but i think its a pretty good voice. However i find it discouraging that she is going down the path of OVERSEXED, overdone pop divaness that i see over and over (and over) again. Shes the latest version of Miss Spears. Im sick of this prop music. Lady gaga has a good voice and im sure lots of talent. No more prop music please, give me something i can chew on. ps i love u lady gaga

I don't think it IS prop music, though. Gaga's pretty damn smart and has shown herself to layer multiple meanings in some of her songs, and the sexual innuendo is part of the message, I think. I've read an art analysis by a 17-year-old Gaga, and from what I gathered, she's fascinated by the naked body and the shame reaction that goes with it most of the time.

I get a lot more meaning out of Gaga's music than anything Britney Spears ever produced, so I don't see the comparison.

I attended Lady Gagas concert last night in downtown Indianapolis. While I enjoyed more that half of the show, I was disappointed by some of the comments she made. Anyone that listens to her music or is part of her following knows that she is an advocate of homosexuality. Which I believe speaks wonderfully about who she is and her character. There was a portion of her show where she was "connecting" with her audience. She made a comment that Jesus loves ALL of His children, no matter who you are or where you come from. Which I completely agree with. She then goes on to introduce her foreign male dancer, we'll call him "Mike". She stated that she liked Mike because he like American girls. -The crowd cheered.- She then goes on to say that she also liked "Mike" because he liked American men as well, JUST LIKE JESUS!!! -The crowd cheered.- I can't even begin to say how much this particular comment bothered me. To even imply that Jesus was gay or bisexual is completely blasphemous. After that comment I left the show immediately. I can only say that my repesect for her as an artist has been altered to say the least. I know this may or may not affect certain readers but I wanted true believers in Christ to know what she's about and what her views are, because I heard it from her mouth. Do with it as you will, I will no longer be an advocate for her or her music.

Okay, I am probably sooooo lagte replying to this comment but I had too..What Lady Gaga meant was yes "mike" liked american men, just like Jesus did, but by mike obviously being gay(backup dancer for lady gaga lol) he really really liked american men way more in the sense. She did in no imply Jesus was gay. I hope this helped clarify the statement..I love christ and lady gaga!!

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This page contains a single entry by Kyle Koster published on March 25, 2009 3:23 PM.